Italian aero club marks century of seaplane flying

A hundred years of seaplane flying from a lake renowned as one of Europe’s most stunning resort and vacation spots was to be celebrated Oct. 5 on Lake Como in the Alpine foothills of Italy.

The centenary celebration was to be held at the facilities of Aero Club Como, the largest seaplane facility and flight school in Europe. The aero club, founded in 1930, claims a Guinness World’s Record as “the oldest seaplane operation in the world.”

“Como is unique among historical water flying places, as it is the only one where regular seaplane activity still continues today,” said Aero Club Como in an announcement of the events.

The 100th-anniversary celebration marks Lake Como’s role in the history of seaplane flying in Europe, especially highlighting its role as the site of “one of the earliest seaplane gatherings and contests.” There, in 1913, French pilot and air racer Roland Garros won the Gran Premio dei Laghi. (Garros would go on to become a World War I fighter pilot, losing his life in combat in 1918 at the age of 29. The French Open tennis tournament, one of the four “Grand Slam” events on the pro tennis circuit, is named after Garros.)

The 2013 celebration will re-create the Gran Premio dei Laghi in a non-competitive format with a flight “from Como touching Bellagio, Lecco, the Adda river, the Ticino River, Pavia and